'Game of Thrones' Final Season: 8 Things We Learned From Director David Nutter's Reddit AMA

Have you circled the entire month of April on your 2019 calendar while waiting patiently for more news about the final season of “Game of Thrones”? Good, because David Nutter — a frequent director on the D.B. Weiss and Damon Benioff-created series — hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything on Tuesday, giving up some hints about Season 8.

Nutter — the director behind the Ad Council’s new short film “Rising,” which will air on Showtime this Friday — directed Episodes 1, 2 and 4 of the HBO fantasy epic’s final season. He previously directed iconic installments like Season 2’s “The Rains of Castamere,” aka The Red Wedding, and the Season 5 finale “Mother’s Mercy,” which kicked off the “Is Jon Snow dead?” debate and won Nutter an Emmy.

Here’s what we learned from Nutter’s AMA.

Also Read: 'Game of Thrones' Final Season to Premiere in April 2019

1. The final six episodes will be over an hour each.
“Season 8 episodes will all I think be longer than 60 minutes. They’ll be dancing around the bigger numbers, I know that for sure,” Nutter wrote. This number has yet to be confirmed by HBO, so don’t get too comfortable with it yet.

2. HBO hackers are gonna have a tough time this year.

According to Nutter, “Season 8 was a very very tight ship. It was limited viewing on many things. Not a lot of paper on the set, like none. No scripts were printed, we only used iPads and things of that nature. It was much more serious than in the past but the security has always been high. I remember in season 5 we were shooting in Croatia the walk of shame and it was a situation where we had body doubles as well — I kept thinking somebody would get photographs of this cause Dubrovnik is a rather open place — all kinds of angles to get photographs but no one did and they spent all this money on security and we got by off the hair of our chinny chin chin.”

Also Read: George RR Martin Says HBO 'Informed' Him 'Game of Thrones' Prequel Pilot Is Still Untitled

3. Time travel is an option.

“Well, I’ll be the first to tell you that I have no time travel in my episodes. That’s the only clue I’m going to give you,” Nutter replied, when asked if there is time travel this season in general. Nice save, Dave.

4. The Red Wedding is nothing compared to the final season — and that’s coming from the guy who directed the Red Wedding.

“I remember I was shooting season 2 in Iceland and Dan took me to a restaurant in Reykjavik and we had a multi course, multi wine dinner and wanted to talk to me about directing Red Wedding trying to talk me into it,” Nutter wrote. “Well, he didn’t have to talk me into it, I was looking forward to doing it very much — and I hadn’t read the books cause I wanted to let the scripts guide me into where I was going. So I had no idea the pressure I was under except the pressure I always put myself under in order to make it great. The more I get into the project of course the more pressure I realize there really was. That was one of the ultimate moments of the series as far as some major characters are concerned and I just wanted to make it good and live up to the books. One of the most interesting things to me that surprised me the most was the responses of the audience — the YouTube videos showing people reacting to what they were watching I felt great about cause I felt like I had succeeded in doing so. As far as season 8 compared to the Red Wedding I just have to tell you – hang onto your seat cause it’s going to be special.”

Also Read: HBO Gripes That Trump 'Misappropriated' 'Game of Thrones' Trademark in Iran Sanctions Tweet

5. Nutter is totally cool with the ending.

“I’m completely satisfied with how season 8 ends,” Nutter wrote. “I think that David and Dan did a tremendous job, and they took into consideration what the fans want, as well as what is right as far as storytelling is concerned. I guarantee there’s going to be lots of surprises and shocking moments, but it’s really very compelling stuff.”

6. And he worked very hard crafting the beginning.

“I’ve never directed an opening episode of GOT before until season 8 but I think it’s really important to make a splash,” Nutter wrote. “You have to reset the table, put everyone back in their place, you have to take them to their next position. But you have to entertain, that’s what’s most important.”

7. Describe it in three words

“Spectacular, inspiring, satisfying.”

Also Read: Always a Jon Snow, Kit Harington Knew Nothing About 'Game of Thrones' Final Season Until Table Read

8. Getting the band back together.

Nutter said the final season “was a chance for a lot of characters to work together that hadn’t worked together before” and some that “hadn’t worked together in a long time.” Make of that what you will.

P.S. No, you can’t ask him about the prequel pilot.

“I’m not involved in it. I’m not sure if I will be involved in it right now but I wish them a lot of luck.”

The eighth and final season of “Game of Thrones” premieres April 2019 on HBO.

14 Most Savage TV Character Deaths of 2017, From 'Game of Thrones' to 'The Walking Dead' (Photos)

Television characters are a dime a dozen, but sometimes when we lose one it can pack a pretty hefty punch. Especially if they go out in a totally epic way. In 2017, we watched more than a few good men and women kick the bucket on TV (though a couple we were honestly glad to be rid of). Here are the ones who went out as total badasses — or maybe were killed by a total badass. Beware of spoilers!

Also Read: 13 Biggest TV Cliffhangers of 2017, From ‘Riverdale’ to ‘Stranger Things’ (Photos)
TheWrap
Bob, "Stranger Things" -- Bob was a nice guy. A great guy. Too good to live, maybe? Yeah, we had our suspicions that Sean Astin's adorable new character wouldn't make it to the end of "Stranger Things 2" -- and he didn't. Luckily, he went out making sure everyone else survived.

Also Read: ‘Stranger Things’ Star Joe Keery Vows to Shave His Head If David Harbour Wins Golden Globe
Netflix
Olenna Tyrell, "Game of Thrones" -- Lady Olenna died in the most vicious way someone can: after having the last word. The matriarch of the Tyrell dynasty told Jaime Lannister she was responsible for his son Joffrey's death before committing suicide by poison (per his instructions). She also wanted to make sure his mother Cersei knew she killed him. What a savage last wish.

Also Read: Emilia Clarke Is Starting to Get ‘Really Annoyed’ by Fans’ Obsession With ‘Game of Thrones’ Nudity

HBO
Frank/Black Jack Randall, "Outlander" -- Losing "Outlander" star Tobias Menzies meant watching one character we really loved die and another we hated bite the dust, all at the same time. The cruel Captain Black Jack Randall and Claire's loving husband Frank were both killed off in the Season 3 premiere when Jamie took out his long-time tormenter. We'll miss you, Frank. Uh, not so much, Black Jack.

Also Read: ‘Outlander’ EP Explains Jamie’s ‘Poetic’ Black Jack Showdown, Teases Reunion With Claire
Starz
Carl, "The Walking Dead" -- Viewers closed one eye in solidarity after this fan-favorite character met his demise in the Season 8 winter finale. After a knock-down, drag-out battle at the Alexandria Safe-Zone, the Grimes Gang made it to safety in the sewer. But everyone would come to find out Carl had actually been bitten by a walker days earlier, while trying to save a man's life. It was a tough pill for fans to swallow, though it was also a pretty baller way to go.

Also Read: ‘The Walking Dead’ Star on the Moment He Learned of His Character’s Death: ‘It Was Devastating’
AMC
Walder Frey (and his entire family), "Game of Thrones" -- You can never have enough "Game of Thrones" character deaths on a list like this, especially when they have been a long-time coming. In the Season 7 opener, Arya finally gave Walder Frey and his kin the thank you note the Starks owed them for the Red Wedding. She slaughtered the patriarch and his entire family for killing several members of her own, seasons earlier. The scene was deeply cathartic for fans who had been waiting to see Arya get her revenge for years.

Also Read: ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Maisie Williams Cannot Wait to Be ‘Free’ of Hit HBO Show
HBO
Littlefinger, "Game of Thrones" -- Littlefinger was one of the most hated, yet beloved, characters in all of “Game of Thrones.” He spent the majority of his life manipulating everyone around him, including the people he loved most, like Catelyn and Sansa Stark. So when he died at the hand of Arya, on her sister Sansa’s orders, it was definitely a most-fitting end for such a conniving character. And it didn’t hurt that the knife Arya used to kill him with was the Valyrian steel blade he gave to Bran’s would-be assassin in Season 1.

Also Read: ‘Game of Thrones': An Ode to Littlefinger
HBO
Perry, "Big Little Lies" -- We don't think fans have ever been more OK with a character's death then they were with Perry's. When Bonnie shoved Celeste's husband down the stairs at an elementary school fundraiser in the final episode of this limited series (which was recently renewed for a second season) viewers were actually a little relieved that his abuse would finally come to an end. Bonnie also rose to the occasion after being a super chill and quiet character the entire season.

Also Read: ‘Big Little Lies’ Loose Ends: 6 Questions Left Unanswered in the Finale (Photos)
HBO
William, "This is Us" -- If you say you didn't grow fond of Randall's biological father William during the first season of NBC's powerhouse drama you are lying to yourself and everyone else. William died of complications due to cancer at the end of an episode centered around his past, as well as the beautiful relationship he'd built with his adult son since meeting him in the pilot. However, his death was a peaceful one and actually forced Randall to reexamine his life and even quit a job he hated. That's a pretty powerful mark to leave on your way out.

Also Read: Ratings: ‘This Is Us’ Grows With Drama, Drama, Drama-Filled Fall Finale
NBC
Crowley, "Supernatural" -- Everyone on this long, long-running CW series has died at least five times. At least. But Mark Sheppard made it clear he was leaving the show for good at the end of Season 12, so fans were ready for one last big Crowley death scene. The King of Hell delivered with a moment in which he sacrificed himself to close a rift between two worlds. He literally saved two worlds with his death. Mic drop.

Also Read: ‘Supernatural': Fate of Dean and Sam’s Mom Stirs ‘Problem’ in Season 13
The CW
Stefan Salvatore, "The Vampire Diaries" -- Stefan sacrificed himself in the series finale to not only save Mystic Falls, but straight up destroy hell. Yeah. He also took his brother Damon’s place in all this and gave him the gift of humanity before leaving him. Now go ahead and tell us a more heroic way to die — we dare you.

Also Read: ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Sinks Teeth Into 1-Year TV Ratings High With Shocking Finale Death
The CW
The Black Fairy, "Once Upon a Time" -- There are few times when a character's death precipitates a change that leads to the reboot of an entire series. This was one of them. Rumpelstiltskin killed his mother, the Black Fairy, in the Season 5 finale of the fairy tale-centric, giving everyone their "happy endings" and allowing for a reboot and the chance for more stories to be told. If that's not an epic death, especially for a villain, we don't know what is.

Also Read: ‘Once Upon a Time’ Creators on Whether Fans Enjoy Season 7: ‘Depends Which Website You’re On’
ABC
Ragnar Lothbrok, "Vikings" -- King Ragnar truly died a warrior's death on "Vikings." Ragnar turned himself in to the English kings Ecbert and Aelle and used his death to send a message to his people. He died in a snake pit after threatening vengeance -- a promise that was soon fulfilled when his enemies joined him.

Also Read: ‘Vikings’ Lands Early Season 6 Renewal From History
History
Mrs. S, "Orphan Black" -- Siobhan Sadler was shot in the chest by Ferdinand in the fifth and final season of "Orphan Black." Luckily, she was able to take him out with her dying breath, as she sent a shot right through his throat. It also didn't hurt she had already leaked the Neolution’s secrets to the public with Rachel's help. RIP Mrs. S. You went out in a blaze of glory.

Also Read: ‘Orphan Black’ Showrunner Credits ‘Six Feet Under,’ ‘The Sopranos’ for Show’s Existence
BBC America
Viserion, "Game of Thrones" -- When Daenerys Targaryen lost her beloved dragon in a serious battle beyond The Wall, we thought we'd be crying for days. But then he was reanimated -- as the Night King's personal pet. Uh-oh. Now Viserion is a white-walking creature who was last seen helping the bad guys journey into Westeros after burning down The Wall with his icy blue flames.

Also Read: ‘Game of Thrones’ Stars Jason Momoa, Emilia Clarke Reunite (Photos)
HBO
We can't know who is going to meet a savage end in 2018. But what we can say with almost full certainty is that next year's gallery will not be littered with "Game of Thrones" characters. Mainly because the final season is reportedly not coming till 2019. Ugh.

Also Read: Jason Momoa Teases ‘Amazing’ ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Spoilers: ‘It’s Going to ‘F— up a Lot of People’
HBO

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Review the baddies who went down in flames and the heroes who died epically this year

Television characters are a dime a dozen, but sometimes when we lose one it can pack a pretty hefty punch. Especially if they go out in a totally epic way. In 2017, we watched more than a few good men and women kick the bucket on TV (though a couple we were honestly glad to be rid of). Here are the ones who went out as total badasses — or maybe were killed by a total badass. Beware of spoilers!

Also Read: 13 Biggest TV Cliffhangers of 2017, From ‘Riverdale’ to ‘Stranger Things’ (Photos)

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14 Most Savage TV Character Deaths of 2017, From 'Game of Thrones' to 'The Walking Dead' (Photos)

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